UFC betting odds for Fight Night 87’s main event pitting Alistair Overeem vs. Andrei Arlovski favor the Dutch kickboxer (-225) over the Belarusian samboist (+185). Overeem – also known as The Demolition Man – might very well be the fighter who has beaten the most former and current UFC champions (namely, Fabrício Werdum, Frank Mir, Brock Lesnar, Junior Dos Santos, and Vitor Belfort) without being a UFC champion himself – though he is a former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, DREAM Heavyweight Champion, K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, and one of only 2 fighters to hold world titles in both MMA and K-1 kickboxing simultaneously.
According to Overeem, though, he will face either Werdum or Stipe Miocic (who will fight for the former’s belt at UFC 198) for the title by the end of the year after he beats Arlovski – whom he said is going to be dangerous; a great athlete, and a former champion. On the other hand, the Belarusian known as the Pit Bull hopes that win over Overeem will put him back in the heavyweight championship picture. Since returning to UFC in April 2014, Arlovski as a 4-1 record – his one loss being also his most recent match versus Miocic (TKO punches 54 seconds into the first round). One has to wonder whether coming off a defeat hurt his UFC betting odds. Additionally, Overeem will have home field advantage.
Many people betting on UFC feel that Overeem has been overestimated – a small fish in a big pond, after being a big fish in the relatively small ponds that were Strikeforce, DREAM, and Pride (may they all rest in peace). The Dutchman lost three of his first five UFC fights by knockout – technically, one was a technical knockout. But that’s chronologically speaking; in retrospect, he has won his last three consecutive matches. It would seem as if the only thing standing in his way to a title shot is precisely Andrei Arlovski.
In all other respects, it appears that the planets are aligning in Overeem’s favor; Ben Rothwell is out of the way, Cain Velasquez is booked for a fight in July, and Junior Dos Santos is out of the equation. And he has already defeated the current champion, to boot. Notwithstanding all of that, it won’t be easy getting past the Pit Bull. Arlovski went on record about a month ago saying that Overeem is in his {expletive deleted} way and that he would do everything possible to smash him. These two may be teammates but they sure ain’t friends – and even if they were, friends take a backseat to championship gold, and each needs the win to remain a viable UFC contender.